The Bears’ tenacious defense turned four turnovers into 16 points, defeating NFC North rivals, the Detroit Lions, 26-24.

Jay Cutler led the Bears, completing 18 of 31 passes for 257 yards and one touchdown. Cutler’s lone touchdown pass came in the first quarter on a 60 yard screen pass to wide out Earl Bennett. Bennett led the Bears with five catches for 109 along with his touchdown catch.

Detroit’s defense kept wideout Brandon Marshall in check limiting him to five catches for 42 yards. Marshall finished the regular season with a team high 118 catches.

Running back Matt Forte carried the ball 24 times for 103 yards and punched a one yard run touchdown. Forte injured his ankle for the third time this season and withstood the pain in a must win game. This was Forte’s third game this season surpassing the 100 yard mark on the ground.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford broke Drew Bledsoe’s pass attempts record after completing 24 of 42 passes for 272 yards three touchdowns and one interception. He was intercepted by cornerback Tim Jennings. Jennings, ninth interception is a league best.

Stafford finished the season with 727 pass attempts and with 4,967 passing yards, just 33 yards shy of consecutive 5,000 yard seasons.

He connected with two year wideout Kris Durham on a 26 yard touchdown pass for his first touchdown catch of his career. Stafford and Durham were teammates at the University of Georgia. He also threw a touchdown pass to tight end Will Heller for his first touchdown of the season and his final touchdown pass came in the fourth quarter to wide receiver Brian Robiskie to pull within two points.

Wideout Calvin Johnson, led the Lions with five catches for 72 yards. Unfortunately, Johnson came short of setting a  2,000 receiving record finishing the season with 1,964 yards.

After starting 7-1, the Bears are not heading into the postseason finishing the year 10-6 because the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Green Bay Packers to earn the final wild card position.

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The Chicago Bears kept their playoff hopes alive with their 28-13 victory on the road against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Bears defense put them ahead in the first quarter after Arizona running back Beanie Wells fumbled and cornerback Zack Bowman recovered the fumble and easily got into the end-zone.

Cornerback Charles Tillman extended the Bears’ lead in the third quarter on a 10 yard interception return for a touchdown. All three of Tillman’s interceptions this season have been returned for touchdowns.

Cornerback Kelvin Hayden and safety Anthony Walters both recorded interceptions. The Bears defense also compiled four sacks and were without veteran leader Brian Urlacher.

Quarterback Jay Cutler led the Bears, completing 12 of 26 passes for 146 yards and one touchdown. Cutler and wideout Brandon Marshall connected on an 11 yard pass for pass in the second quarter. Marshall caught six passes for 68 yards along with this touchdown.

On the ground, Matt Forte led the Bears carrying the ball 12 times for 88 yards and punched in a four yard touchdown in the second quarter.

The Arizona Cardinals started quarterback Ryan Lindley. Lindley completed 17 of 30 passes for 141 yards and one interception. Lindley has yet to throw a touchdown pass since becoming a starter and was benched early in the third quarter.

Fourth year player Brian Hoyer entered the game and completed 11 of 19 passes for 105 yards and one interception.

Larry Fitzgerald led all wide receivers with eight receptions for 111 yards surpassing the 100 yard mark for the second time this season.

The Bears will finish their season on the road at Ford Field against NFC North divisional rivals the Detroit Lions and look to sneak into the playoffs. The Cardinals will end their season with a tough match-up against NFC West rivals the San Francisco 49ers.

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The Green Bay Packers clinched the NFC North division for a second consecutive season with their 21-13 victory over divisional rivals the Chicago Bears at Solider Field.

Aaron Rodgers helped the Packers continue their 12-game winning streak in the NFC North division by tossing three touchdown passes. Rodgers completed 22 of 36 passes for 291 along with his three touchdown passes.

James Jones was the recipient to all three touchdowns, catching a total of five catches for 60 yards. Also, wideout Randall Cobb caught a game high six reception for 115 yards.

The Packers featured a combination of running backs to help jumpstart the run game. Alex Green, Ryan Grant and DuJuan Harris combined for 94 of Green Bay’s 113 rushing yards. The run game has picked up in the recent weeks due to rotation they have implemented.

Green Bay was ecstatic with the return of linebacker Clay Matthews, who missed the team’s last four games with a hamstring injury. His presence on defense was known, finishing the game with six tackles and two sacks. Matthews has 11 sacks in the 10 games he has played this season. The defensive pressure stepped it up in his return, combining for four total sacks.

The gameplan for Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears was to run the ball, control the clock and keep Rodgers off the field. Their opening drive looked as if it would have been successful but they had trouble moving the ball.

Cutler finished the game after completing 12 of 21 passes for 135 yards one touchdown and one interception. Cutler connected with wide receiver Brandon Marshall on a 15-yard touchdown in the second quarter to give the Bears their early (and only) lead of the game.

The Packers secondary contained Marshall, who leads the league with 107 receptions, to only six receptions for 35 yards along with his score.

As for Chicago’s run game, Matt Forte had 20 carries for 69 yards. Forte also contributed in the pass game catching five passes for 64 yards.

Chicago’s tenacious defense was without Brian Urlacher but was still able to force two turnovers against Green Bay. Grant busted through the defense for a positive gain and was hit by cornerback Charles Tillman, who forced a fumble recovered by linebacker Nick Roach.

With less than eight minutes left, on a punt, returner Cobb attempted to throw a backwards pass to Jeremy Ross which he also fumbled — the Bears regained possession. The Bears were only able to kick a field goal on the horrendous Packers mistake.

With the victory, the Packers are in contention to earn a first-round playoff bye. As for the Bears, they have fallen to 8-6, along with four other teams in the NFC and will have to battle to earn a wild card playoff position. The Packers will be play their final home game of the season next week against the Tennessee Titans. The Bears will head west to take on the Arizona Cardinals.

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Seattle Seahawks quarterback, Russell Wilson, led his offense down the field in overtime and connected with wide receiver Sidney Rice for a 13 yard touchdown to defeat the Chicago Bears 23-17.

Wilson, completed 23-of-37 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns. Wilson’s first touchdown strike came with less than 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter to wide receiver Golden Tate to take a 17-14 lead.

On the ensuing drive, Jay Cutler connected with Brandon Marshall for a 56 yard bomb to help put the Bears into field goal range. Kicker, Robbie Gould nailed a 46-yard field goal to send the game into overtime.

Cutler completed 17-of-26 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Cutler and Earl Bennett connected on a 12 yard pass to give the Bears an early 7-0 lead. His second touchdown pass was a 12 yard pass to running back Matt Forte in the third quarter. Forte also had 21 carries for 66 yards.

Wide receiver, Brandon Marshall caught 10 passes for 165 yards. Marshall has caught at least 10 catches in back-to-back games for the first time of the season.

Seattle’s Rice caught six passes for 99 yards along with his game winning touchdown. Also Tate caught five passes for 96 yards along with his touchdown catch.

Running back, Marshawn Lynch had a productive game on the ground with 19 carries for 87 yards and one touchdown. Lynch punched in his sixth touchdown of the season with his second quarter score.

Seattle’s cornerbacks, Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner, played after they were accused for using Adderall earlier in the week. The corners combined for 11 tackles for the Seahawks defense.

The Chicago Bear’s defense lost some key playmakers. Safety Chris Conte was ruled out because of illness, cornerback Tim Jennings left the game with a shoulder injury, and linebacker Brian Urlacher injured his hamstring in overtime. Cornerback, Kelvin Hayden had a fumble recovery for the Bears only takeaway of the game.

With the loss, the Bears fell to 8-4 and are no longer atop the NFC North Division because of the Packers victory against the Minnesota Vikings.  The Bears now hold one of the two NFC wild card positions. Chicago will take on the Minnesota Vikings at Mall of America Field next week. As for the Seahawks, they improved to 7-5 and also hold an NFC wild card position. Seattle will return home next week to take on the Arizona Cardinals.

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The Chicago Bears improved to 8-3 and 5-1 at Soldier Field with their 28-10 victory over NFC North rival the Minnesota Vikings, snapping a two game losing streak.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler had a quiet yet efficient game returning from injury completing 23-of-31 passes for 188 yards one touchdown and one interception.

His 74.2% completion percentage was a season best thus far for the  seven-year quarterback. Cutler connected with tight-end Matt Spaeth in the second quarter for his first touchdown of the year.

Wide receiver Brandon Marshall continues to be Cutlers favorite target each week. Marshall caught 12 passes for 92 yards in the victory. This was the second time this season Marshall caught 12 passes in a single game. His 81 catches is a team high and there is not another receiver on the team that has more than 30 catches.

In the third quarter, the Bears offense lost playmaking running back Matt Forte. Forte exited the game with a right ankle injury; the same ankle where he suffered a high ankle sprain earlier in the season. Michael Bush took over at running back and had 21 carries for 60 yards and two touchdowns. The Bears also lost wideout Devin Hester, who left the game with an apparent concussion.

The Bears defense bounced back this week after not forcing a single turnover in last weeks loss over the San Francisco 49ers. Safety Chris Conte caught his second interception, safety Major Wright and cornerback Charles Tillman both recovered fumbles.

As for the Vikings, quarterback Christian Ponder completed 22-of-43 passes for 159 yards, one touchdown, one fumble and one interception. Ponder connected with tight-end Kyle Rudolph in the third quarter for his long touchdown toss. Rudolph caught five passes for 55 yards along with his touchdown before exiting the game in the fourth quarter to be evaluated for a concussion.

Adrian Peterson continued his dominance, rushing with 18 carries for 108 yards. Peterson also caught six passes for 30 yards. Peterson’s only mistake against the Bears was a fumble. Peterson has rushed for over 100 yards for the fifth consecutive game and sixth time this season.

The Vikings were without wideout Percy Harvin, who was inactive again, nursing an ankle injury. As a result, rookie Jarius Wright took over the wideout spot. Wright caught seven passes for 49 yards.

The loss for the Vikings pushes them back to 6-5 but still keeps them well in contention in the playoff hunt. The Vikings will be on the road again next week against NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers. The Vikings continue to struggle away from home, only recording one win this season.  The Bears will host the Seattle Seahawks next week as they fight for first place in the division.

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Colin Kaepernick led the San Francisco 49ers to an easy 32-7 victory over the Chicago Bears to improve to 7-2-1 on the year. Kaepernick completed 16-of-23 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start for the Niners.

Starting quarterback, Alex Smith, was inactive for Monday night’s game. Smith received a concussion in last week’s tie against the St. Louis Rams.

Kaepernick connected with tight-end, Vernon Davis, to extend an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter. Davis caught six passes for 83 yards along with his touchdown catch. In the third quarter, Kaepernick connected with wide receiver, Michael Crabtree, to put the 49ers ahead 27-0. Crabtree caught three passes for 31 yards along with his 10 yard touchdown catch.

As for the Chicago Bears, they were without starting quarterback, Jay Cutler. Cutler also received a concussion last week in a losing effort against the Houston Texans. Jason Campbell got the nod, but was not efficient. Campbell completed 14-of-22 passes for 107 yards one touchdown and two interceptions.

Campbell was knocked around the entire night and sacked a total of six times. 49ers defensive end, Aldon Smith, accounted for 5.5 sacks, pummeling through the Bears’ offensive line.

Campbell threw his lone touchdown pass to wide receiver, Brandon Marshall, in the third quarter. Along with his touchdown catch, Marshall recorded two catches for 21 yards.  This was the second time this season that Marshall was held to two catches and under 25 yards. The first time was against the Green Bay Packers in Week two.

The Bears also had trouble running the ball. Matt Forte carried the ball 21 times for 63 yards and back-up running back, Michael Bush, only had five carries for nine yards. Bush has yet to be as effective on the ground, as he was last season in Oakland. He has not scored a rushing touchdown since Week three.

Surprisingly enough, the Bears defense sits atop the NFL with 30 total takeaways and were unable to force a single turnover against the 49ers. As for the 49ers cornerback, Tarell Brown and safety, Dashon Goldson each had interceptions. Linebacker, NaVorro Bowman led the 49ers with 13 total tackles, pushing him to 4^th in the NFL with 94 total tackles.

With the loss, the Bears are now 7-3 and take a step back in the NFC North Division. The Packers are now in first place because they currently own the tiebreaker against the Bears. Chicago will be on the road next week against NFC North rivals, the Minnesota Vikings. As for the 49ers, they will also be on the road against the New Orleans Saints.

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The Chicago Bears dominated on both offense and defense in a crushing 51-20 victory over the Tennessee Titans, improving to 7-1.

Chicago scored quickly and often to take early control at LP Field, scoring 28 points in the first quarter, a franchise record for most points scored in the first quarter. The first score was a result of a blocked punt, defensive end Corey Wootton recovered the ball for a touchdown.

Running back, Matt Forte, gave the Bears a 14-2 lead after his eight-yard rushing touchdown, his third of the year. The Bears’ defense came up with another big play on the ensuing drive. Linebacker, Brian Urlacher, picked off quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and returned the interception 46 yards to extend the lead to 21-2. The final score of the first quarter came thanks to quarterback, Jay Cutler, connecting with wideout, Brandon Marshall, for a 13-yard touchdown pass.

Cutler and Marshall connected two more times in the 4th quarter on a 39-yard touchdown pass and a 5-yard touchdown pass to finish off the Titans. Marshall finished the game with nine receptions for 122 yards, along with his three touchdown passes. This was the first time Marshall caught multiple touchdown passes since his 2009 season.

Cutler was extremely efficient, completing 19 of 26 passes for 229 yards and three touchdown passes. Forte finished the game with 12 carries for 103 yards and one touchdown. Forte also contributed in the pass game catching two passes for 45 yards. Forte’s 8.6 yards per carry was a season best, and it was his second time surpassing 100 yards on the ground this season.

The Bears’ defense is credited with their success this season, and they continue to play a vital role in each week’s victory. They have compiled a total of eight defensive and special team touchdowns, which are tied for the most in NFL history.

Chicago is currently one of the best NFL defenses with 27 takeaways. Cornerback, Charles Tillman, contributed to raising the defenses’ takeaways, with his four forced fumbles along with his team-high nine tackles. Tillman was just named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October, and continues to be a nightmare for offenses across the NFL.

Tennessee Titans’ running back Chris Johnson was their lone star in the crushing defeat. Johnson carried the ball 16 times for 141 yards and one touchdown. This was Johnson’s third game running for over 100 yards.

Hasselbeck finished the game, completing 20 of 35 passes for 194 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His touchdown pass came in the third quarter on a 30 yard pass to wideout, Nate Washington.

The Titans will be back in action next week against the Miami Dolphins. As for the Chicago Bears, they will look to continue their home dominance and take on fellow 7-1 opponents, the Houston Texans.

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The Chicago Bears squeezed past the Carolina Panthers 23-22 to improve to 6-1 and 4-0 at Soldier Field.

Running back Matt Forte took the lead early in the first quarter on a 13 yard rushing touchdown. Forte had 70 yards on 15 rushes along with his one touchdown. Forte also caught five passes for 24 yards.

In the 2nd quarter, after a Jay Cutler fumble the Carolina Panthers responded; Cam Newton scrambled and dove in the end-zone but was hit and fumbled. Luckily the ball was recovered by Louis Murphy for the touchdown to go ahead 10-7.

The Panthers took advantage of Chicago’s weak offensive line and sacked Jay Cutler six times in the first half. Panthers kicker, Justin Medlock kicked three consecutive field goals to pull ahead 19-7.

In the 4th quarter, Jay Cutler put the Bears back on board. Cutler and tight-end Kellen Davis connected on a 12 yard-pass for his only reception of the day. The touchdown cut the Bears deficit to 19-14.

On the ensuing drive, on 1st and 10 on Carolinas 20 yard-line Newton dropped back to hit wideout Steve Smith who slipped, Tim Jennings jumped the rout and intercepted the pass to take it back for seven and give the Bears the late 20-19 lead. Jennings recorded two interceptions, a total of six on the year.

The Panthers almost responded with an incredible catch by Smith, but the veteran was unable to hang onto the ball. As a result, Medlock kicked a 45 yard field goal off the goal pole to go back ahead 22-20.

Cutler and Brandon Marshall connected four times on the final drive to help push the Bears into field goal range. On 2nd and 7 with four seconds left, Robbie Gould nailed a 41 yard field goal for the win.

Cutler finished the game completing 19-of-28 passes for 186 yards one touchdown, one interception and two fumbles. Cutler favorite target Marshall, caught nine passes for 98 yards.

Newton completed 20-of-39 passes for 314 yards threw two interceptions and two fumbles. Steve Smith, caught seven passes for 118 yards.

Carolina will head to FedEx field next week to take on the Washington Redskins. The Bears will be on the road next week against the Tennessee Titans as they look to stay atop the NFC North division with the Vikings and Packers breathing right behind their necks.

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The Chicago Bears defeated the Detroit Lions 13-7 at Soldier Field to improve to 5-1 and 3-0 at home this season.

The Bears defense did an outstanding job limiting the the Lions and creating turnovers to preserve the victory. Cornerback, Charles Tillman, locked up Lions star receiver, Calvin Johnson; holding him to three catches for 34 yards. Johnson and quarterback, Matthew Stafford, have only connected once for a touchdown through their six games.

The Lions had a very difficult time punching in a score inside the 20 yard-line. In the 2nd quarter on Chicago’s 18 yard-line, running back, Mikel Leshoure, was stripped by linebacker, Lance Briggs, and the fumble was recovered by defensive lineman, Julius Peppers. Also in the 3rd quarter, running back Joique Bell was stripped at the one yard-line trying to extend the ball for a touchdown, and the fumble was recovered by linebacker Brian Urlacher. Their third red-zone turnover came in in the 4th quarter when Stafford threw an interception to cornerback D.J. Moore on Chicago’s three yard-line.

Detroit, is atop the NFL for most turnovers in the red-zone this season with five.

Towards the end of the first half, Bears fans held their breath after Jay Cutler exited the game after he was thrown to the ground by Lions defensive lineman, Ndamukong Suh. Cutler returned to the game in the 2nd half and finished the game, completing 16-of-31 passes for 150 yards and one touchdown.

Cutler connected with number one wide receiver, Brandon Marshall. Marshall had six receptions  for 81 yards along with his score. Marshall leads the Bears in all receiving categories by significant numbers.

Running back, Matt Forte had a productive game on the ground. Forte had 22 caries for 96 yards along with three receptions for four yards.

Stafford completed 28-of-46 passes for 261 yards one touchdown and one interception. Stafford’s lone touchdown pass was to rookie Ryan Broyles in the 4th quarter for his first career touchdown. Broyles caught three passes for 51 yards and was featured after wideout, Nate Burleson, left the game with an injury. Burleson’s injury has been diagnosed as a broken leg and he could possibly miss eight months. Wideout Titus Young led the Lions receiving core with six receptions for 81 yards.

The Lions will have another tough matchup next weekend as they welcome the Seattle Seahawks to Ford Field. As for the Chicago Bears, they will remain home at Soldier Field and play the Carolina Panthers. Chicago will look to maintain a divisional lead as they currently sit atop the NFC North.

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After a 3-3 halftime stalemate, a 38 point second half Chicago Bears scoring eruption led the Bears to a crushing 41-3 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler completed 23-of-39 passes for 292 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the win. Cutler connected with rookie Alshon Jeffery for the first offensive touchdown of the game in the 3rd quarter. Jeffery had two receptions for 20 yards along with the touchdown catch. Brandon Marshall led the Bears receiving core with a season high 12 receptions, 144 yards and a 4th quarter touchdown.

As for the Bears rushing attack, Matt Forte led the pack with 107 yards on 22 carries. Forte also caught two passes for 20 yards. This was Forte’s first 100+ yard rushing game of the 2012 season. In addition, running back Armando Allen scored the first NFL touchdown of his career on a 46 yard breakout touchdown.

The Bears offense finished off the game with 501 total yards, compared to the Jaguars 189 yards. Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert struggled completing 17-of-33 passes for 142 yards, was sacked three times and threw two interceptions. This was Gabbert’s first week held without throwing a touchdown pass. Cecil Shorts led the receivers with two receptions for 43 yards.

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew carried the ball 12 times for 56 yards. Jones-Drew has been held under 100 yards in four of this year’s five games.

The Bears defense continues to make opposing quarterbacks and offenses struggle. In the 3rd quarter, cornerback Charles Tillman picked off Gabbert for a 36 yard interception return for a touchdown. Linebacker Lance Briggs also picked off Gabbert for a 36 yard interception return for a touchdown in the 4th quarter. Tillman and Briggs have returned interceptions for touchdowns in two consecutive games. The Bears defense have scored four defensive touchdowns in the past two games.

Chicago improved to 4-1 on the season, and is on a three game winning streak heading into their bye week. The Bears will be back in action against divisional rivals Detroit Lions on Monday night, October 22. Jacksonville will also be on their bye week, and will be back in action Sunday, October 21 against the Oakland Raiders.

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The Chicago Bears forced Tony Romo to throw five interception to improve to 3-1 and defeat  the Dallas Cowboys 34-18.

The Bears defense had a busy evening, forcing turnovers the entire night. Bears safety, Major Wright, had two interceptions giving him a total of three on the season, and the second best in the NFL.  Cornerback, Charles Tillman, picked off Romo in the 1st quarter and ran it back 25 yards for a touchdown. Linebacker, Lance Briggs, picked Romo off in the 3rd quarter and took it back 75 yards for another touchdown. Cornerback, D.J Moore, also had an interception. The Bears lead the NFL with a total of 11 interceptions. Bears Safety, Chris Conte, led the Bears with 11 tackles.

Romo’s five interceptions tied a career high for the Dallas quarterback. Interestingly enough, Romo’s first five interception game was back in 2007, also on Monday night. Four weeks in, and Romo currently leads the NFL with eight interceptions. Romo did throw one touchdown to wide receiver, Miles Austin. Austin finished the game with four receptions for 57 yards.

Romo’s awful performance ended late in the 4th quarter and back-up, Kyle Orton, took over. On Orton’s only drive, he completed 8-of-9 passes for 89 yards and one touchdown. Orton’s lone touchdown was too tight-end, Jason Witten; Witten finished the game with 13 receptions for 112 yards. Cowboys running back, DeMarco Murray, struggled running the ball for a third straight week. Murray had 11 carries for 24 yards. Murray was featured in the pass game, catching seven passes for 57 yards.

Chicago Bears quarterback, Jay Cutler had a season best 75% completion percentage, threw for 275 yards and had two touchdowns. After being contained under 100 receiving yards the last two weeks, Brandon Marshall caught seven passes for 138 yards and one touchdown. Devin Hester caught Cutler’s first touchdown pass of the night, and Hester caught three passes for 38 yards. The Bears were delighted to welcome Matt Forte back after missing last week because of an injury. Forte had 13 carries for 52 yards.

The Bears are currently atop the NFC North Division with the Minnesota Vikings at 3-1. Chicago will be on the road again next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. As for the Dallas Cowboys, they are in a three-way tie at 2-2 in the NFC East Division. Luckily for the Cowboys, they can rebuild and get things together during their bye week. The Cowboys will be back in action in Baltimore to take on the Ravens October 14th.

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The Chicago Bears improved to 2-1 on the season, after defeating the St. Louis Rams 23-6 at Soldier Field. The Bears’ offense struggled last week against rivals Green Bay Packers, and their offense still seemed out of sync against the Rams.

Jay Cutler completed 17 of 31 pass attempts for only 183 yards, and threw one interception. Cutler had a passed rating of 58.9, and did not throw a touchdown pass for the first time since week 9 of last season. The Bears’ offensive line protected Cutler much better, only giving up two sacks. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall caught five passes for 71 yards, compared to his two receptions last week. Alshon Jeffery had five receptions for 45 yards. With running back Matt Forte still out due to an injury, Michael Bush led the Bears with 18 carries for 55 yards and one touchdown. Bush also caught two passes for 18 yards.

As for the the St. Louis Rams their points were produced by rookie kicker, Greg Zuerlein. Zuerlein booted a 56 yard field goal, and a 46 yard field goal. Zuerlein is now 6-6 on the season.  Rams quarterback Sam Bradford had a rough game, only completing 18 of 35 passes for 152 yards and two interceptions. Bradford was knocked around all of the game, and was sacked six times. Furthermore, Bradford had a career low of  39.2 quarterback rating. Danny Amendola was Bradford’s favorite receiver again, catching five passes for 66 yards. Running back Steven Jackson was limited to 11 carries for 29 yards. Jackson wasn’t 100 percent as he proclaimed to be, however he did not further injure himself. Daryl Richardson carried the ball four times for 16 yards.

The Bears’ defense was lead by linebacker Lance Briggs, who had seven tackles. Also Bears, cornerback, Tim Jennings recored his 4th interception of the year. In addition, safety Major Wright caught his first interception and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The Rams’ defense was led by linebacker James Laurinaitis, who recorded a season high 11 tackles. Cornerback Cortland Finnegan caught his third interception of the year in the the 1st quarter.

Chicago is 2-0 at home this season, and will be back in action next Monday, October 1st, on the road against the Dallas Cowboys. As for the Rams they will be home against division rivals, Seattle Seahawks on September 30th.

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A highly anticipated offensive shoot-out at Lambeau Field turned into a  defensive gridlock on Thursday night. The Green Bay Packers defense had a huge target on their back following their weak performance in Week 1 against the 49ers. In Thursday nights rivalry game against the Chicago Bears, the Packers defense completely shut down the Bears explosive offense to earn an encouraging 23-10 victory.

The rampant defense of the Packers held the Bears to just 168 total yards. Jay Cutler was completely flustered by Green Bay’s aggressive defense, only throwing for 126 yards and one touchdown, whilst also giving up four interceptions. Cutler was also sacked seven times, and is now 0-3 at Lambeau Field. Green Bay also limited Chicago’s run game, especially after Matt Forte left the game in the 3rd quarter with an ankle injury.

Packers linebacker, Clay Matthews, had seven tackles, and 3.5 sacks. Matthews has already matched the amount of sacks he had last year in the first two games of the season, and should continue to harass quarterbacks all season. The secondary also shone with Tramon Williams picking up two interceptions, whilst Charles Woodson and rookie Jerron McMillian also both picked off Cutler. The Packers secondary was also able to lock-up Bears star wideout Brandon Marshall, and limited him to two receptions for 24 yards. Marshall had a touchdown opportunity in the 3rd quarter however, but was not able to hang onto the ball.

Interestingly enough, Green Bay’s punter, Tim Masthay, threw a touchdown pass before Aaron Rodgers. In the second quarter, on a fake field goal, Masthay pitched the ball to Tom Crabtree who followed his blockers all the way for seven. Rodgers finally threw his first and only touchdown pass of the game in the fourth quarter to veteran wideout Donald Driver. Rodgers finished the game completing 22 of 32 passes for 219 yards, one touchdown and one interception. In addition, the Packers run game proved to be far more effective than in Week 1, as they rushed for a total of 106 yards, and Cedric Benson lead the team with 20 carries for 81 yards. Benson also had four receptions for 35 yards.

Green Bay has now extended their winning streak against the Bears to five games. The Packers handled the pressure of an expectant home crowd extremely well to earn their first win of the season. Green Bay will be on the road for their next game, a tough clash with the Seattle Seahawks on September 24th. The Bears will be back at Soldier Field, September 23rd, against the St.Louis Rams.

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The NFL’s oldest rivalry will meet for the 185th time Thursday night at Lambeau Field. The Packers will try to bounce back from a Week One, 30-22 defeat by the San Francisco 49ers, and the Bears look to make an early divisional statement and improve to 2-0 on the season.

Green Bay had an extremely difficult time stopping the 49ers’ offense this past Sunday. Green Bay gave up a total of 377 yards: 191 via pass, and 186 on the ground. In addition, the Packers struggled running the ball, compiling a total of 45 rushing yards. Packers’ newly acquired running back, Cedric Benson, only had nine carries for 18 yards- not exactly what the Packers wanted to see from their free agent signing. Unfortunately, the Packers also may be without wide receiver, Greg Jennings, who is ailing with a groin injury.

As for the Bears, their offense looked explosive. The Bears had a total of 428 yards, sixth best in the NFL, against the Indianapolis Colts. Jay Cutler and wide receiver Brandon Marshall did not miss a beat. In a Tuesday conference, when asked about the Packers’ defensive backs pressing and being physical with receivers Cutler said, “Good luck.” A very bold yet confident statement to make just a week into play.

Chicago’s running back duo could possibly be the best in the NFL. Matt Forte and Michael Bush were very effective Week One combining for 122 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, the Bears were able to create turnovers, forcing three interceptions and two fumbles. Bears’ linebacker Brian Urlacher is expected to play even though he is still suffering knee problems. Also cornerback, Charles Tillman is expected to play. Tillman left Week One with an apparent shin injury.

Keys to Victory for the Packers:

Put pressure on Jay Cutler:

The Packers are going to have to be effective on the blitz and force Jay Cutler to make mistakes. They cannot allow him to settle in the pocket and find open receivers. Several times, Cutler threw questionable passes into double coverage in Week One against the Colts; Green Bay must capitalize on these mistakes, force turnovers and let their offense control the game.

Establish Some Type of Run Game:

The Packers had absolutely no run game Week One, which needs to change as the season progresses. By establishing a run game the Packers’ offense becomes more dangerous, and less predictable. This also gives Green Bay the ability to control the clock, and keep Cutler and his explosive offense off the field.

Keys to Victory for the Bears

Attack Green Bay’s weak Secondary:

The Bears have a talented offense and Cutler can definitely distribute and pass the ball. Cutler and the Bears should want to keep the ball in the air and see if the Packers are capable of stopping their receiving core revolved around Brandon Marshall.

Keep Aaron Rodgers off the Field:

Rodgers was not named MVP last year for nothing. He is extremely talented and executes very efficiently. The Bears must try and control the clock with Forte and Bush. The longer their offense is on the field the longer Rodgers is on the sideline. The Bears want to keep him off the field and put more pressure on the Packers’ defense to come up to make a big play.

The Packers will look to expand their current winning streak over the Bears to five games, but it definitely will not come easy. As coach Mike McCarthy said while addressing the press: “It’s a tough game every time we get together on the field, so we are expecting that, but yes we are focusing on winning the game.”

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The Chicago Bears made several offseason moves to improve offensively, including reuniting wide receiver Brandon Marshall and quarterback Jay Cutler, and adding more running back depth with the addition of Michael Bush. Both were important aspects in their 41-21 victory over a rebuilding Indianapolis Colts team/organization.

Bears fans held their breaths early after Jay Cutler was intercepted by linebacker Jerrell Freeman and scored to give the Colts their only lead of the day. However, the Bears offensive finally settled down and routed the Colts defense. Cutler threw for 333 yards, completing 21 of 35 passes for two touchdowns and one interception. Cutler and his number one wide out, Marshall made it seem they never stopped playing together. Marshall had nine receptions for 119 yards and one touchdown. Cutler targeted Marshall 15 times, several times in which were effective and others very risky passes into double coverage.

However, once the Colts began to attempt to cover Marshall better, Cutler began to spread the love. Rookie wide out, Alshon Jeffery caught three passes for 80 yards and also scored a touchdown. Jeffery will be a big target for Cutler especially when defenses are keen on covering Marshall. In addition, wide out Earl Bennett caught three passes for 50 yards.

As for Chicago’s run game, their duo consisting of Matt Forte and Michael Bush were also on point. Forte had 16 carries for 80 yards and one touchdown. Forte also caught three passes for 40 yards. As for Bush, he had 12 carries for 42 yards and punched in two goal line touchdowns. The Bears offense compiled 428 total yards, which thus far is in the top five for performances during the first week.

Defensively, the Bears forced five total turnovers, three interceptions and two fumbles. Cornerback Tim Jennings had two interceptions, and safety Chris Conte has one interception. Cornerback Kelvin Hayden and defensive lineman Julius Peppers had fumble recoveries.

Indianapolis rookie quarterback, Andrew Luck will want to forget about his first NFL start. Luck completed 23 of 45 passes for 309 yards, one touchdown, and threw three interceptions. In Luck’s defense he was up against a tough Bears “D”, but was very “unlucky.” Luck’s favorite receiver Sunday was veteran, Reggie Wayne. Wayne caught nine passes for 135 yards, and was targeted 18 times. Also rookie tight end, Coby Fleener had a busy day catching six passes for 82 yards. Fleener and Luck have a past history after playing together at Stanford University.

Chicago will be back in action on short rest, Thursday, Sept. 13^th at Lambeau Field against divisional rivals Green Bay Packers. Alex Smith had a fairly easy time passing the ball against the Packers weak secondary, Jay Cutler and the Bears offense could light up the score board once again come week two.

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The Bears finished last season with a record of 8-8 and just missed the playoffs after a late season collapse, which saw them lose five out of their last 6 games, but will be hoping for a much better showing in the 2012 NFL season.

Chicago reunited quarterback Jay Cutler and wide receiver Brandon Marshall this offseason. Both played together in Denver and were a very successful offensive duo. Cutler will hope for a bounce back season after only playing in 10 games due to injury, yet still managed to throw for over 2,000 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Brandon Marshall recorded over 80 receptions and over 1,000 yards in his last two seasons in Miami and will excite Bears’ fans who have been longing for a star receiver. Not a single Bears’ receiver last season recorded more than 52 receptions and no one had over 727 receiving yards. The addition of Brandon Marshall will make the Bears’ passing game more dangerous and help Cutler get back to his usual 3,000-yard passing season.

Matt Forte led the Bears in rushing last season, running just shy of 1,000 yards and scoring 3 touchdowns, but also suffered injury problems like Cutler. The Bears brought more running back support in, signing ex- Oakland Raider, Michael Bush. Bush played in 16 games and ran for 977 yards and 7 touchdowns last season, shining during Darren McFadden’s injury induced absence. The running back duo of Forte and Bush could possibly be the best one-two punch in the NFL.

Although the Bears have a multitude of offensive weapons, their biggest offensive concern is their offensive line. Chicago’s offensive line allowed the 6th most sacks in the NFL last season, 49, and also was 5th in the NFL for allowing quarterback hits, 87. A weak offensive line could mean trouble and lack of full production from the injury-prone Cutler and the rest of the Bears’ offense.

The Bears defense is led by veteran linebacker, Brian Urlacher. Urlacher has not featured at all this preseason because of knee trouble and has reportedly been in Europe seeking specialist treatment. However, he should be ready come the opening regular season game and after recording 102 tackles and 3 interceptions last season, will be eager to replicate those kind of numbers this season. Julius Peppers, Chicago’s defensive line anchor, is also coming off a great season in 2011, registering 37 tackles, 11 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles.

Overall, Chicago has the potential to win 10 or more games this season and will likely be back in the playoffs providing they can hold their own against divisional rivals the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers.

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The Chicago Bears took on the Denver Broncos under the lights at Soldier Field to kick off their preseason play. Not only were Bear fans fortunate enough to see their team play, they also got a glimpse of Peyton Manning in his first game with the Broncos.

Manning completed 4 of 7 passes for 44 yards and threw an interception in the 31-3 victory. It was evident that Manning was grateful and excited to be back under center for the first time since missing all of last season. Manning connected with three different wide receivers within his first four pass attempts, already spreading the field and keeping defenses guessing. Denver’s offensive line kept Manning protected very well and did not allow him to get hit once. Peyton’s leadership and experience definitely makes the Broncos a team to look out for once the regular season comes along.

As for the Chicago Bears, their starting quarterback, Jay Cutler, warmed up, but did not play because of the birth of his first child on Wednesday. As a result, Jason Campbell started for the Bears and completed 4 of 5 passes for 13 yards. In addition, running back Matt Forte sat and watched from the sideline, giving the start to newly acquired Michael Bush.

Bush carried the ball three times for two yards and also fumbled. Also, wide receiver, Brandon Marshall, caught one pass for four yards in his Bears debut. The addition of both Bush and Marshall makes the Bears become an offensive threat this upcoming season. Not to mention that Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall are already very well acquainted with each other after playing together in Denver.

However, the only positive offensive note for the Bears from Thursday’s game was rookie receiver Alshon Jeffery. Jeffery led the Bears receiving core with four receptions for 35 yards. The former South Carolina Gamecock was drafted in the second round of the NFL Draft and signed a four-year deal in early May. Jeffery has been playing extremely well during training camp and is showing a ton of potential.

Defensively for the Bears, Julius Peppers also watched from the sidelines. In addition, linebacker Brian Urlacher did not play for reported personal reasons. However, Urlacher has been suffering from some knee soreness.

Chicago will welcome RGIII and the Washington Redskins Saturday, August 18, for their second preseason game. As for the Broncos, they will also be in action August 18 against the Seattle Seahawks.

Although the Bears finished last season with an 8-8 record and missed the playoffs, their offseason additions could possibly help make them the second best team in the NFC North Division behind the Green Bay Packers.

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In American Football, like in most sports, entire games can be decided by one single momentum shift.  Last night was filled with different key shifts in the game, most notably in only the last two minutes of play prior to the end of the first half, in which possession of the ball switched four times.  What started with the Eagles finally putting three points on the board, was followed with a defensive stop while the Bears were deep in their own territory. Then Brian Rolle pried the ball free from the Bear’s running back Matt Forte, and ran it in for six points. It is important to mention Forte’s 133 yards, and an impressive opening drive.

When a game turns around from being down 10-0 and several plays later have the game be knotted at 10-10 with under 2 minutes to go in the half, a fan expects a good chance at victory.  The Eagles then forced Chicago to punt the ball to the dangerous DeSean Jackson, and were ready to take over the game going into the locker room after getting the ball at the start of the second half.  It seemed as though the Eagles were ready to take over the ball game.

It is tough when a team lets the momentum change to the opposition, but it is even more difficult when a team begins to over and is ready to take the momentum and run with it like it seemed the Eagles were going to do, only to see DeSean fumble the ball in the Bear’s redzone, ending up in seven points for Chicago.  This could have had a different outcome, but ultimately both teams in any given game will have mistakes. However, last night’s mistakes from the Philadelphia Eagles were abundant. The hard-nosed hitting linebackers from Chicago put the hurt on Michael Vick, while the Eagles couldn’t put enough pressure on Jay Cutler to throw too many bad passes.  In addition, the Bear’s had a great offensive weapon in Matt Forte, who could run it when the Eagle’s were expecting a Cutler pass.

The combination of strong play from Chicago’s offensive line, Cutler’s big play–avoiding a huge sack from three attacking Eagles– and with Forte’s legs, this team has proved it can grind out big wins over teams that are least expecting it.  Not to mention, the match-up we got to see last night met perfectly with the strength of the Bear’s defense arguably battling the fastest ground attack in the NFL.  The Bear’s were able to prove that a long time-tested defense will prevail over a newly put together and speedy offensive team.

Basically, here are the main points about the game.  Vick got banged around, Cutler proved his toughness, there is still some debate about if Forte or McCoy is better,  the Bear’s still have a solid defense, and finally…will the Eagles make the playoffs standing at 3-5?

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The Chicago Bears (4-3) posted a hard-fought 24-18 victory over elected home side Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3) in the 5^th NFL International Series at Wembley, London.

The Bucs (who played at Wembley as recently as 2009, when they took on the New England Patriots) were welcomed to the field with rapturous applause as tight end Kellen Winslow Jr ran out onto the ‘hallowed turf’ bearing the Union Jack. The Bears, who played at Wembley 25 years ago in the inaugural American Bowl, were enjoying a large amount of support, with a significant contingent of the near 77,000 crowd seemingly Chicago fans.

The game started with a 3 and out from the Bears offence, and they looked as if the occasion, likened to a Superbowl in atmosphere by Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk and Richard Dent, may have unnerved them somewhat. If they were slightly overawed, they soon overcame it, and the league leading Matt Forte, who has 908 yards rushing already this season, ran in a 32-yard TD to give the Bears the lead.

Forte went on to enjoy a monster performance in London, rushing for 145 yards on just 25 carries. An injury to running back Earnest Graham sent things from bad to worse for the Bucs, leaving only the inexperienced Kregg Lumpkin active. Veteran cornerback Ronde Barber did pull back two points for the Bucs when he tackled Forte in the endzone for a safety.

The much maligned Chicago offensive line, who had given up 19 sacks on Jay Cutler so far this season, put in a strong performance, allowing Cutler to find Roy Williams on the 25-yard TD pass in the second quarter. Although Cutler was being given better protection than he has had all season, the story of the game was the Bears work running the football.

Marion Barber collected the 50^th rushing TD of his career as he powered into the endzone from 12 yards out. The Bears were then close to adding to their lead when Lance Briggs intercepted on Freeman’s first pass after the Barber TD and, despite the linebacker taking the ball all the way to the endzone, a Chicago player was called for a push in the back, and Briggs’s celebrations were cut short.

The game was brought back to life early in the fourth quarter as Winsow collected a TD pass, and although Freeman, who coincidentally made his first ever NFL appearance at Wembley two years previously, failed to find Mike Williams for the extra two, and the Bucs were looking a threat in the deep for the first time in the game.

A fourth quarter comeback continued to look on the cards as Freeman, who was showing a composure in the fourth that he had lacked throughout the game, found Dezmon Briscoe for the 24-yard TD and the Bucs kicked the extra point to cut the Bears lead to three points.

The Bears then kicked a field goal to establish a six point lead, and with less than two minutes left in the game, the Bucs began a drive on their own 28 yard line. Although they looked dangerous, recording consecutive first downs, D.J. Moore grabbed an interception with around a minute to play to effectively end the game.

The Bears will fly home hoping that their offensive line has turned a corner, with good performances against both the Vikings and now the Bucs, and that Forte can carry on running the ball with the same effectiveness that has seen him lead the NFL in rushing yards so far this season.

Head Coach Raheem Morris and the Bucs will be disappointed that they could not complete their fourth quarter comeback, but cannot be too aggrieved, as Tampa Bay did not turn up in their first three quarters.

They leave London in better spirits than two years ago, when they were on the end of a 35-7 demolition by the Patriots, and Morris will see a lot of potential on his side as they head into their bye-week.

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The Chicago Bears routed the Minnesota Vikings 39-10 to move to 3-3 on the season and gain some much needed ground in the NFC North division. The Bears served the Vikings a steady dose of Matt Forte, hard nose defense, and Devin Hester. From the first Chicago offensive series the tone was set as Jay Cutler threw a 48 touchdown pass to a streaking Hester.

Not to be outdone, the defense forced a safety on Viking QB Donovan McNabb, giving the Bears there first safety since early 2009. From there Cutler went to work through the air as his whittled offensive line provided him with protection not evident in any of the previous game this season — a task not thought possible, since Minnesota has the second best pass rushing defense in the NFL.

Shockingly the Bears offensive line only allowed Cutler to be sacked once all night and afforded him time to sit in the pocket. This was an almost night and day difference from last week against the Detroit Lions where Cutler was under duress the entire night. With the offense humming on all levels, almost scoring at will, and a stingy defense only allowing 3 points, the Bears jumped out to big 26-3 lead at halftime.

However the Vikings would not go quietly into the night. Early in the 3^rd, Jared Allen sacked Cutler and in the process created at fumbled ball which Allen recovered. With a short field the Vikings behind their star running back Adrian Peterson managed a touchdown drive. Peterson carried the ball in from 4 yards out and the momentum seemed to be shifting in the Vikings favor, until they made a crucial mistake.

It has been said around the NFL that you don’t kick the ball to Devin Hester. The Vikings must have missed that memo as Hester returned the kickoff for a 98 touchdown, and shut off any steam the Vikings were gathering. Hester’s kickoff return put the game firmly out of reach, prompting the Vikings to replace McNabb with their 2011 first round draft pick Christian Ponder.

In his first action as a QB in the NFL, Ponder did some things well such as reading the defensive pressure, hitting open receivers, and extending plays with his feet. Ponder still showed that he was a rookie by overthrowing a few receivers, but he played well enough to stir up some quarterback controversy, especially with Minnesota’s 1-5 record.

The only question left to ponder is the Vikings QB position. Will they stick with the old or bring in the future?

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